Fuel ads face off – a big Shell booboo?

Most of you must be familiar with the most recent multi-media ad of my good friend and TV co-host (Motoring Today) and the country’s "living legend" of racing, Pocholo Ramirez with his sponsor Petron. This is the one where he goes all the way from Pagudpud to Sorsogon with Epi Quizon. Let me give you a brief backgrounder on this now controversial ad, which started as a legitimate claim for fuel efficiency.

Petron’s think tank in the PR/advertising division came up with the idea of an Economy Run, fielding automobiles with fuel tanks filled to the brim. These cars would then be made to run till the fuel ran out.

Petron being a staunch supporter of Poch and family in all his racing endeavors tapped Pocholo together with well-known showbiz celebrity Epi Quizon to brag about the fuel efficiency of their brand in the actual run by the ads. On board a Honda Jazz, Pochie actually ran his car with a tank-full of Petron gasoline through the long stretch of Pagudpud to Sorsogon without refueling in between.

The eco-run was supervised by the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) formerly known as the Philippine Motoring Association which as you well know is a respected name in local motoring. Their membership roster includes such names as the late Tony Mapa and other well-respected personalities not only in racing and rallying but in civic and business circles as well. Lending their stamp of approval on any undertaking gives it a pretty good grade of credibility within the motoring circle.

Naturally, the results of the actual eco-run by Poch were short of amazing, and Petron engaged the services of an ad agency for a tri-media campaign to herald the milestone fuel performance of their fuel. There were full-page ads in the leading dailies, television spots and frequent radio commercials in a successful media blitz that had people from all walks of life talking to Poch about the eco-run.

A few weeks after the breakout of the Petron ad campaign, I was surprised to see a huge billboard of Shell – they had come out with their own multi-media advertising campaign which included radio and television and, yes, giant billboards in strategic places which must have cost them a fortune. In these campaign, Shell virtually laid claims to fuel performance incredibly much better than those claimed by Petron in the economy run that Shell conducted separately. In Shell’s version of it, they enlisted various personalities including some media people.

Two very young motoring journalists from the C Magazine were tapped and it was supposedly the winning performances of these two young C Magazine journalists that Shell used to trumpet their own claims of super fuel efficiency.

Petron is now howling about unethical advertising practices supposedly engaged in by Shell in connection with its newest ad that came at the heels of their own eco-run claims for fuel efficiency. Petron has officially lodged a protest with the Ad Board, the advertising industry’s self-regulating body for all commercials and ads in the country. However, before an actual confrontation between the two giant oil companies erupted, we got word that Shell decided to take a "360-degree turn" in this media campaign. They immediately pulled out their ads and even the giant billboard I mentioned earlier. What a waste of good advertising money!

From some quarters, I understand there’s still a lot more to this brouhaha, and it seems this complete turn-around doesn’t put a simple end to the issue. The fact that the matter has been brought to the Ad Board makes it a gravely significant issue, and the two oil giants seem poised for an inevitable confrontation. Abangan. We will get to the bottom of this and we’ll tell you more next week. The plot thickens.

B & L’s Texas Hold ‘Em Bar Tour Challenge

Owing to the growing, nay phenomenal popularity of poker in the United States, poker has now caught the imagination and fancy of many Filipinos. The very simple variation of Texas Hold ‘em is particularly popular because a virtual beginner can play the game and in fact be very competitive after only a brief introduction to the game. The technical aspect is so simple, and success lies in the playerís skillful and insightful play.

Business & Leisure brings Texas Hold’ em to the popular bars hereabout via a "bar tour challenge". Interested participants may sign up for the first ever challenge which is slated for September or October this year. Further announcements will be made. However if anyone of you readers is interested to join, just write to our e-mail address printed below.

In the B & L Texas Hold ‘em Bar Tour Challenge, there will be 10 participants per table, and a certified dealer shall be assigned per table. Like in the Poker King Challenge, the last man standing shall be declared winner. There will be five elimination legs and the top two players of each leg would meet for the finals for a championship table of 10 top players.

The bar atmosphere lends a friendly, barkada-type atmosphere to the tournament. As in all the poker challenges of the Poker Club of the Philippines, the B&L Texas Hold ‘em Bar Tour Challenge is a no-cash wager tournament, the chips being merely units of denomination that will determine the player’s standing at the end of the game. For some quarters that may have qualms about the gambling nature of this tourney, please think again - how can this be gambling if no money is involved. Winners will definitely bring home valuable prizes in kind plus coveted trophies for the first ever B&L Texas Hold ‘em Bar Tour Challenge. Already, several groups have signified their intention to join. It is a wholesome affair and your family and friends can join you in the bar, sipping their favorite drinks while the drama unfolds on the poker table. Itís going to be a fun night.

Sunshine Television Show’s New Sked

Motoring Today – the flagship TV show is still on its original schedule of Sunday, 11:30 a.m. For Business & Leisure – new time slot on Sunday, 10:30 p.m. while Auto Focus – new time slot on Saturday, 10:30 p.m.

All of the above are aired on Channel 4 in Metro Manila and adjoining areas and nationwide via satellite on all stations and affiliates of the National Broadcasting Network.

Breaking Barriers – still on the regular Wednesday time slot of IBC TV-13 every Wednesday. However, IBC TV-13 may be implementing their new programming schedule by September, so this may be moved to 12 midnight of the same day come next month.

Mabuhay! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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